Celebrity Info
You know, it’s kind of fascinating how some child stars fade from the spotlight, while others quietly pivot to new passions—take Jared Rushton, for example. Back in 1989, Jared Rushton really made a name for himself as the pint-sized best buddy to Tom Hanks’ larger-than-life character in the beloved comedy fantasy Big. That role put him on the map, and honestly, it was hard not to notice Jared Rushton’s natural charm and screen presence even at such a young age.
Then came 1990, and Jared Rushton landed another memorable part—this time in Disney’s sci-fi hit Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Playing one of four teens accidentally miniaturized by a clumsy inventor, Jared Rushton delivered a performance that earned him a Saturn Award nomination in the Best Performance by a Younger Actor category. Though he didn’t take home the trophy—losing out to Adan Jodorowsky, who gave a haunting turn in Santa Sangre—being recognized like that was no small feat.
Jared Rushton wasn’t slowing down either. The very next year, in 1991, he stepped into the lead role in A Cry in the Wild, a film produced by Roger Corman and based on Gary Paulsen’s acclaimed novel Hatchet. The story followed a teenager surviving alone in the Canadian wilderness, and Jared Rushton carried the emotional weight of the film with impressive maturity.
After that, his appearances became more scattered throughout the ‘90s, mostly on television. But by 2000, Jared Rushton made a decisive shift—he stepped away from acting altogether to focus on music, a passion that had clearly been brewing beneath the surface. Alongside his brother Ryan, Jared Rushton co-founded the Southern California rock band Withdrawal. Their only full-length album, The Perfectionist Blacklist, dropped in 2006 and blended post-hardcore intensity with electronica and post-rock textures—a pretty ambitious mix, actually.
When Withdrawal eventually disbanded, Jared Rushton didn’t hang up his guitar. Instead, he teamed up once again with Ryan and added percussionist Todd Crayton to form a new group: Deal by Dusk. This quintet leans into a jam-band aesthetic while still rooted in the spirit of late-‘90s indie rock. And get this—they’ve even shared the stage with Melvin Seals, longtime collaborator of Grateful Dead legend Jerry Garcia. Not bad for a former child star.
So yeah, while you might remember Jared Rushton from his early film roles, his journey didn’t end there. Jared Rushton has kept evolving, staying true to his creative instincts—first on screen, now through sound.
When it comes to Jared Rushton’s filmography, one standout performance really defines his career—and that’s his role in Big (1988), which remains his highest-rated movie to date. Fans and critics alike have consistently praised the film, and Jared Rushton’s contribution to its success is hard to overlook. Over the years, audiences have continued to revisit this classic, further cementing its legacy. On the other end of the spectrum, Jared Rushton was also part of Pet Sematary Two (1992), a film that unfortunately received much more mixed reactions and holds the spot as his lowest-rated project. While Jared Rushton brought his usual energy to the role, the overall reception didn’t match the acclaim he earned earlier in his career. Still, looking at both highs and lows, Jared Rushton’s presence in these films highlights the range and resilience of his acting journey.
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